10-bit (or 16-bit) color mode

[cestarian]

8-bit color mode is starting to reach it's limits, it provides around 16.7 million colors for display, and while that is rather close to the total amount of colors a human eye can see, it's just not quite there. Because of this, on 8-bit color mode we will often get what is known as banding, a good example of this effect can be seen in this picture (even if you're on an 8-bit display)



And so on came the 10-bit monitors touting 1bln colors, very far over the human eye's limits and normally, no banding should happen there. There's quite a few of these monitors on the market right now, and I'm pretty sure in the not-so-distant future, 10-bit OLED (or Quantum Dot at least) monitors will be the norm with 100% adobe RGB (or better) color accuracy and probably also HDR rendering, cus why not. I'm basically just waiting for an affordable quantum dot 10-bit display to come to market so I can buy it, because I for one really hate banding.

I'm pretty sure if you have a 10-bit monitor, banding will start to be much more noticeable, something that you normally don't see popping out in some media, like in that picture example (it probably won't be that bad, but it will feel that bad), as an artist I'd like to circumvent this so a 10-bit or just 16-bit color mode would be fantastic to have, it seems to be a basic feature in many digital painting and image editing programs.

No rush or anything though, when you implement it, make sure you do it well.

[support]

Very interesting question, but actually is not clear. Yes, you can work in 32bit in Photoshop, for example. But the color picker is still 255 255 255 and all gradients is the same (in 32 bit you can correct some 32rbg values, but gradient in Photoshop still staircase)
My monitor is NEC MultySync PA272w with 10bit support, but actually, I can't find the way how to use this 10bit

[cestarian]

Oh interesting, if you have a 10-bit monitor then you should be able to figure this out, did you look at Black INK? If anyone has found a way to do it right it would be them. They don't even have a 32-bit color option, only 64 bit (16 per channel) by default over there. I can't really reliably test it since I haven't managed to get my grubby paws on a 10-bit monitor yet, but if they have, they have managed to do it even with a 255, 255, 255 color picker. (Actually is 254 for them for some reason, might just be a bug in the current version idk)

Since you have a 10-bit monitor you're in a perfect situation to find a way to make this happen, like I said it's not really much of a rush since 10 bit monitors aren't too super common on the market yet, but since you own one I'm pretty sure you know it's probably gonna be standard in a few years so best have this by then hope you'll figure it out! Banding is the worst shit ever.

[chrr]

Very interesting question, but actually is not clear. Yes, you can work in 32bit in Photoshop, for example. But the color picker is still 255 255 255 and all gradients is the same (in 32 bit you can correct some 32rbg values, but gradient in Photoshop still staircase)
My monitor is NEC MultySync PA272w with 10bit support, but actually, I can't find the way how to use this 10bit

The graphics card must also support 10bit. That's a whole nest of trouble for now. I never got it to work with my Eizo CS240, Photoshop CC 2015 and AMD Radeon card. During my tests, I upgraded the driver/Catalyst and found out AMD had REMOVED 10bit support for my card, probably in order to sell their top-of-the-line products.

[support]

I"ve read that the only a few graphic cards support's 10bit only with full-screen direct x 11 mode

[cestarian]

I"ve read that the only a few graphic cards support's 10bit only with full-screen direct x 11 mode

Hmm that doesn't sound right, I mean at least nvidia's drivers have a 10bpc setting (I have a 10 bit monitor now too) would be kinda pointless if it only works in fullscreen exclusive DX11...

I hope it's not right, I think I may look into this too, see what I find.

[Alex]

I"ve read that the only a few graphic cards support's 10bit only with full-screen direct x 11 mode

Hmm that doesn't sound right, I mean at least nvidia's drivers have a 10bpc setting (I have a 10 bit monitor now too) would be kinda pointless if it only works in fullscreen exclusive DX11...

I hope it's not right, I think I may look into this too, see what I find.

Its absolutly true. On Windows only Full screen Direct X programms have HDR aka 10 bit single color output. If you want to have a full HDR output even on Desktop you have to buy a AMD card.. or a Nvidia Quadro.

On Linux you have only with hacks 10 bit outputs. but then on the entire Screen. But its depending on the application itself.

I do VFX and Color Grading since years. I know what i am talking about.

[Alex]

I"ve read that the only a few graphic cards support's 10bit only with full-screen direct x 11 mode

Dear Support,

would it be possible to integrate 16 bit color processing? I dont know how much this is possible but for later vfx work and even for texturing at least 16 bit work is minimal requirement. Maybe it would also be possible to have a IDT for ACESCG .. ACES CG Colorspace settings for screens are very common these days..

It should be implemented..

Best Regards

Alex

[invokker]

I"ve read that the only a few graphic cards support's 10bit only with full-screen direct x 11 mode

I totally agree with you. nowadays most of the graphics cards support 10bit only with full-screen direct x 11 modes.